Family Reunion in Estes Park

Every other year my family has the opportunity to attend the Monson reunions! The Monson's are my grandma Elmont's family. She's one of eleven kids, then all her siblings have kids, plus their kids have kids, and even some of their kids have kids! You get the picture, it's huge! And it is so fun! It's the type of reunion where hardly anyone knows anyone's name, and by the end we're all best friends! It's a blast and since we do it every other year so much changes and lots of new members are added to the family! Steve wasn't able to go this year because of school, and I was hoping to have a job by then but oh well. It worked out that I was able to go and I'm so grateful I went. My great grandma Monson is 97 years old and we all think it's the last time we'll be able to have her at the reunion. She was the one that started it all so it's always a special treat when we think it's the last time (which has been probably the last three reunions) and then she surprises us all!

 Since our family is so large we have to hold the reunion where it can accommodate everyone. This year we were able to do it at the YMCA lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. 

The drive there was absolutely beautiful! These guys were just hanging out off the side of the road. They were huge!

Playing horse shoes

The last night we were there we had a meeting with all the adults. After the meeting we walked outside and right outside our door were two HUGE elk just sitting there grazing. I think they were pretty used to having people around. Everyone was taking pictures and getting pretty close and it was like it didn't even phase them! They just kept on eatin! Sorry it was so dark outside so the pictures aren't too great...

 Grandma Monson is so funny! She collects goofy glasses and has too many to count. She's already picked out which pair of glasses she wants to be buried in haha and she always wears a pin that says I LOVE KEN. It's so cute! My grandpa died 13 years ago and she's worn it ever since.

 Some of us crazy cousins!

So this picture I love because Dumb and Dumber is one of my favorite movies and these are the steps of the hotel that they stay at! We had to drive by and take a picture just because we were so close!

The reunion only went from Monday to Thursday afternoon so we had the rest of the week left to go to Basalt, Colorado. This is were my Grandpa Elmont grew up and his brother still has a cabin there that we were able to stay at. It was tiny and super rustic but fun to go to. We all ended up sleeping in the bunk house that my great uncle made just right next door to it. It was so small and it was hilarious trying to fit all nine of us in there for the night! Fun memories that's for sure!

 Sleeping in the bunk house!

Side of the cabin, I don't know why i didn't take a picture of the whole thing... oh well.

 Harry Potter with some of the cousins and my family

 Our last day we took a tram up to this little amusement park sort of thing call the Cavern. It was like a tiny tiny Lagoon and was a lot of fun. 

This was the "Swing" It swung you our over the edge so you were swinging out over the canyon! It looked pretty fun!

 Kait was so brave to go! So proud of her.

After the park we packed up and headed home! It was so fun to be able to spend time with the family and to be in beautiful Colorado.